Top and middle management teams' strategic decision making processes: case study of a Saudi Arabian higher education institution.

AlShehri, H.M., 2020. Top and middle management teams' strategic decision making processes: case study of a Saudi Arabian higher education institution. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

This thesis explores strategic decision-making process (SDMP) in the context of a higher education (HE) institution in Saudi Arabia, identifying those factors that influence SDMP and performance more generally within Saudi HE institutions. To achieve this, it investigates the impact of management team heterogeneity on SDMP. The thesis employs a mixed methods approach, whereby quantitative data was collected utilising a survey questionnaire (244 respondents) and qualitative data via semi- structured interviews (31 interviewees).

The findings indicate that education level heterogeneity within top management teams (TMTs) and middle management teams (MMTs) is moderately high in the context of Saudi HE institutions. Moreover, tenure heterogeneity in TMT/MMTs is also relatively high. They further reveal that access to knowledge resources is greater for members of TMTs and MMTs in the research context. Moreover, this finding suggests knowledge sharing among the members of TMTs and MMTs is moderately high at the target HE institution in Saudi Arabia.

The findings further reveal that education level heterogeneity within TMTs and MMTs positively influences SDMP comprehensiveness. Moreover, the greater education level heterogeneity, the more efficient SDMP is. The findings also suggest the more heterogeneous TMT/MMT tenure is, the less comprehensive SDMP will be. In addition, the study findings indicate that the more heterogeneous TMT/MMT tenure is, the slower SDMP is. Furthermore, the higher the rate of knowledge sharing among members of TMT and MMT, the swifter the decision-making process. The findings also imply that greater access there is to knowledge resources the slower SDMP is. Finally, the greater the comprehensiveness of SDMP the more superior the performance of the organisation. Therefore, management teams within the HE institution are expected to provide opportunities to enhance comprehensiveness in SDMP in the context of Saudi Arabia.

The present study contributes to the management literature by examining job-related heterogeneity at the target Saudi HE institution. It also contributes to existing cross cultural management literature, bringing an appreciation of the role of culture in the process of SDMP, in what has previously been an under explored cultural context. The final chapter discusses the academic and practical contributions of the thesis.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	AlShehri, H.M.
Date:	August 2020
Rights:	This work is the intellectual property of the Author, Huda Mohammed AlShehri. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any reuse of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed in the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights.
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	11 Sep 2020 09:18
Last Modified:	31 May 2021 15:17
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/40685

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